Kate Atkinson (born 28 June 1972) is an Australian film, television and theatre actress. She is best known for her roles in television series SeaChange as police officer Karen Miller, Offspring as Renee and Wentworth as Vera Bennett.
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Early life
Atkinson was born in Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, on 28 June 1972 to an English mother and Tasmanian father. She was raised in Perth, Western Australia. Her older brother was actor John Atkinson, who died in 2026.
Atkinson studied English at Curtin University in Perth from 1990 to 1993, earning a BA with a double major in theatre and film and television.
Career
Atkinson has had regular roles in the television series Fat Cow Motel, Blue Heelers, The Cooks and Kath & Kim. Her film roles include The Hard Word (2002), Japanese Story (2003) and The Jammed (2007).
From 2010 to 2012, Atkinson had a recurring role in the first three seasons of Offspring, playing Renee, opposite Asher Keddie.
Atkinson notably appeared in the long-running drama Wentworth as Deputy Governor (later Governor) and Industries Manager, Vera Bennett from season 1 in 2013, until the series finale in 2021. She reprised the role in 2020 when the series returned to production for season 8, after the show was renewed. Atkinson appeared in all 100 episodes of the show and was a part of the "100 club", alongside co-stars Jacquie Brennan, Katrina Milosevic and Robbie Magasiva. The "100 club" received a placard for their efforts.
In 2016, Atkinson appeared in a Melbourne Theatre Company production of Lungs. She returned to the MTC in 2017, for its production of Three Little Words.
Atkinson revealed in 2021 that she had planned to walk away from acting altogether before she was offered her role in Wentworth, as she was studying a Masters in International Politics at the time and said "I'll do a season. But I don't know if this thing has legs." She had believed that the show would not last more than a single season.
In March 2022, Channel 9 announced that Atkinson was named as the lead for Underbelly: Vanishing Act as con woman Melissa Caddick. She was cast in the role at the time when Caddick's story was of high public interest and it was announced just weeks after Caddick had disappeared from her home, sparking a manhunt to find her. The miniseries, which aired over two nights, told the story of Caddick's disappearance from a 'what if' angle, as the investigation into her disappearance was still ongoing and Caddick's foot had washed up on a beach some weeks later. After the show went to air Atkinson said "There was still a lot of hurt" for the victims of Caddick's crimes. The show aired to mostly negative reviews, where some labeled the show "in poor taste" and "tacky".
In September 2022, Atkinson appeared at the "Wentworth Con" fan convention in Melbourne alongside many others in the Wentworth cast. She also appeared frequently for events in the UK.